San Rafael council approves residential parking permit policy

San Rafael resident Armida Scopazzi is relieved the city is giving her a chance to park in front of her Latham Street home — something she's been unable to do for more than 20 years.

"I've been known as the parking police," Scopazzi said. "All of the businesses' employees park on my street."

Scopazzi has been asking the city for years to do something about the parking problem. Nestled between F and Shaver streets, Latham receives overflow from people doing business on Third and Fourth streets — where there is timed parking.

"Why do we not at least have four-hour parking?" Scopazzi said.

On Monday, the San Rafael City Council voted unanimously to approve a policy that will serve as a model for residents to follow if they wish to implement a parking permit program in areas such as the Latham Street area and the Montecito, Dominican and Gerstle Park neighborhoods.

The council OK'd the policy on the condition that it will likely change when neighborhoods actually get involved. Council members expressed opposition to the requirement that 1,500 residences participate to get the program going.

City Parking Services Manager Vince Guarino said the participation number is so high because the program has to be cost neutral to the city. He said multiple neighborhoods can participate to reach that figure.

"Once one neighborhood initiates the process, the other neighborhoods have one year to decide if they want to join," Guarino said.

The council also expressed opposition to some of the other requirements, stating there might be too many barriers for people to participate. Neighborhoods wishing to create a program would have to collect signatures from 67 percent of the occupants in their proposed district — defined by the city Public Works Department — to get the wheels in motion.

Then the city would conduct a parking study to verify that more than 75 percent of the available on-street parking spaces in a district are occupied during the hours of proposed enforcement. The City Council would have to pass a resolution approving the program.

City Councilman Andrew McCullough said the policy is at least a start.

"For years, people have decried that there is no policy," McCullough said. "As imperfect as this is, it's desirable to have something in place."

Mayor Gary Phillips agreed.

"Maybe what we do is put it in place, let it percolate a bit," Phillips said.

Under the program, residents would purchase an $85 permit each year with a one-time $150 initiation fee in order to park in their neighborhood without any time restrictions. Those without a permit would be limited to parking for two to four hours at a time Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., excluding city holidays.

Michael Iswalt, a senior engineer at the San Francisco-based consulting firm Arup, was hired to help create the parking policy. He said the permit fees will go toward paying for signs, labor and administrative costs.

"There's an enormous upfront cost," Iswalt said.

During public comment, San Rafael resident Kristen Haviland said she's in favor of the policy. Having lived in San Francisco, she said she's used to needing a permit.

"I have more trouble parking at my house than in San Francisco," said Haviland, who lives in the Latham Street area.

If she parks in front of her house on F Street, Haviland said, she has to move her vehicle every two hours because there's no permit program in place for residents.

"It's frustrating that now as a home owner, I can't park easily and in front of my own house," Haviland said.

Gerstle Park Neighborhood Association board member Hugo Landecker said the association is struggling with the new policy. While there is indeed a parking problem in Gerstle Park, near San Rafael Avenue, he's worried there could be consequences to the program's implementation.

"I'm not too sure it won't move some of the parking problems into adjacent areas," Landecker said.

Gerstle Park Neighborhood Association President Amy Likover said there's no way 67 percent of homeowners in Gerstle Park will sign a petition. She suggested the council look at little pockets of impacted parking instead of larger neighborhoods.

Councilman Damon Connolly said he's concerned about potential opposition to the policy, as stated by some of Gerstle Park's residents. He said only select residents have expressed an interest in the program.

"I don't really perceive a real demand for this in town," Connolly said.

City Manager Nancy Mackle said the policy has been a regular request from residents and that the council can alter it if needed.

"We can study it in the future," Mackle said. "I think we have a lot of flexibility."

Standing on her patio, Scopazzi said she has a new project to work on and will be talking with her neighbors about the policy. While she thinks the one-time initiation fee is too expensive and the 1,500-participant threshold is high, she's pleased the ball is at least rolling.

"It's about time they look at tiny little neighborhoods," Scopazzi said.